The study of gypsy elements in Drosophila subobscura (gypsyDs) indicated that they are transcriptionally active and mobile. From the comparative analysis of a complete gypsyDs element with the canonical gypsy sequence from D. melanogaster (gypsyDm) it can be deduced that while the whole structure is maintained, the gypsyDs ORF3 encodes a non-functional Env protein. The PCR amplification and sequencing of the ORF3 from different laboratory strains and H271 clones show that all gypsyDs sequences studied have frame-shifting mutations in this region. These results support that gypsyDs elements lack functional Env proteins and consequently they lack infective ability. In this way, it can be proposed that gypsyDs elements are degenerate forms of insect retroviruses. Heterogeneous results have been obtained in the study of the presence of gypsyDm sequences in different D. subobscura strains indicating that these sequences are unstable in this species.
Download full-text PDF |
Source |
---|
Environ Monit Assess
November 2024
Department of Life, Health and Environmental Sciences (MeSVA), University of L'Aquila, Via Vetoio, 67100, L'Aquila, Italy.
Tuber spp. (Ascomycota) forms hypogeous fruiting bodies (truffles) that host many microbial species as well as invertebrates which feed on them. Despite the larvae and adults of Diptera and Coleoptera are commonly found to inhabit truffles, molecular investigations assessing their occurrence are still few and the number of species is probably underestimated.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFMol Ecol
November 2024
CE3C-Centre for Ecology, Evolution and Environmental Changes and CHANGE-Global Change and Sustainability Institute, Lisboa, Portugal.
Understanding the molecular mechanisms of thermal adaptation is crucial to predict the impacts of global warming. However, there is still a lack of research on the effects of rising temperatures over time and of studies involving different populations from the same species. The present study focuses on these two aspects, which are of great importance in understanding how organisms cope and adapt to ongoing changes in their environment.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFProc Biol Sci
October 2024
CE3C - Centre for Ecology, Evolution and Environmental Changes & CHANGE - Global Change and Sustainability Institute, Lisboa, Portugal.
Body size is a key morphological trait that affects physiology and metabolism, as well as other relevant traits such as fertility and mating success. Some evidence points to a trend of shrinking body size with increasing temperature, but this is far from unequivocal. Here, we assess the evolution of body size under a warming environment in experimentally evolved populations from two distinct geographical origins, tested in both ancestral and warming environments.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFG3 (Bethesda)
September 2024
Advanced ICT Research Institute, National Institute of Information and Communications Technology, Kobe, Hyogo 651-2492, Japan.
Drosophila subobscura is distributed across Europe, the Near East, and the Americas, while its sister species, Drosophila madeirensis, is endemic to the island of Madeira in the Atlantic Ocean. D. subobscura is known for its strict light-dependence in mating and its unique courtship displays, including nuptial gift-giving.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFEcol Evol
November 2023
Institute of Infection Veterinary and Ecological Sciences, University of Liverpool Liverpool UK.
X chromosome meiotic drive (XCMD) kills Y-bearing sperm during spermatogenesis, leading to the biased transmission of the selfish X chromosome. Despite this strong transmission, some natural XCMD systems remain at low and stable frequencies, rather than rapidly spreading through populations. The reason may be that male carriers can have reduced fitness, as they lose half of their sperm, only produce daughters, and may carry deleterious alleles associated with XCMD.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFEnter search terms and have AI summaries delivered each week - change queries or unsubscribe any time!